Fireplace-screen



NITE STATES PRENTIS E. LAW, OF WVILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

FIREPLACE-SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION formin part of Letters Patent mfeoazsatamu August 16, 1898.

Application filed November 8, 1897} Serial No. 657,768. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, PRENTIS E. LAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireplace-Screens, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, forming a partof this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire-screens of that type which are used more particularly in connection with open fireplaces to prevent hot coals or sparks from falling upon the hearth outside of the grate or upon the floor.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fire-screen which is constructed and arranged in such a way as will prevent the same from being burned, discolored, or otherwise injured by the fire, while at the same time affording an effectual barrier against sparks and coals escaping.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ornamental fire-screen which is capable of elaborate decoration and which can be divided at any desired place to permit access to thefire or pushed back to expose the entire fireplace; and a further object of the invention is to provide a fire-screenof simple yet durable construction which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and which is arranged so that it can be readily and easily removed, if desired.

My invention also has other objects in view, which will be fully and clearly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of the drawings, referring to which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my improved fire-screen arranged in position in front of a fireplace. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the hood; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a fire-screen embodying my invention in which the screen is hung from lugs on the hood. Fig. 4.- shows another method of supporting the screen. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing a portion of the supporting-rod and the manner in which the screen may be hung therefrom. Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the supporting-rod may be carried by a stand resting on the hearth. Fig. 7 illustrates the manner in which the supporting-rod may be carried by a bracket secured tothe fireplace frame. Fig. 8 is a side View of the fire-screen, showing the supporting-rod carried by the hood.

- Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates a fireplaceframe, the form shownbeing simply illustrative of one adaptation of the invention and the manner in which it'is used, it being noted here, however, that myinvention is not in any wise limited to this particular application.

- The fire-screen consists, preferably, of a hang from. the links of the transverse chain 0, being arranged in this manner close together, so that they will conjointly form a screen constituting an effectual obstruction to flying sparks or coals, while at the same time permitting the passage of heat therethrough. The hood is preferably made of sheet metal, having a rounded front and curved ends, and it is ornamented in any desired manner. many different forms, it being only essential that it shall have such a form as will constitute a top for the fire-screen extending from the fireplace-frame to the screen proper to prevent a draft of air entering the fireplace from above the screen. I

The transverse chain may be variously supported, and in Fig. 3 I have shown the hood B provided with lugs E, spaced at intervals entirely around its lower edge, these lugs having holes or hooks, to which thetransverse chain,carrying the pendentchains, is secured. I prefer, however, to support the chains on a rod F,arranged beneath the lower edge of the hood and to which the hood may or may not be secured. This rod may constitutea support for the hood and be mounted in movable or stationary stands J of some desiredfo'rm, one of which is used at each side of'the screen, as shown in Fig. 4. The istan'dsmay be employed to support the entire device, as shown in Fig. 4:, or the hood may be secured to the This hood may be made in fireplace permanently and the stand used as a support simply for the supporting-rod and screen proper.

I have shown the trausverse'chain supported on the rod F by means of rings G in Fig. 4, whereby the chains forming the screen proper and the transverse chain may be slid and adj ust-ed to any position desired on the rod. In this construction the rings G are loosely arranged on the rod at intervals throughout its length, and they can be easily moved along from end to end thereof, as desired.

Another and preferred method of supporting the screen is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, in which a hollow rod F, having curved ends conforming substantially to the lower edge of the rod, is provided with a narrow slot H in its lower side, extending from end to end thereof. The screen is connected with this slotted hollow rod by means of hangers I, having enlarged heads 2', arranged to operate within the rod, said hangers projecting down through the slot in the rod and having hooks h on their lower ends, to which the transverse chain is secured. These hangers can be slid along the rod in the same manner that the rings are moved and adjusted on the rod, for it will be understood that the hangers are arranged loosely in the slotted rod, so that they may be moved freely into-any desired position and at any place from one end of the rod to the other. This hollow rod may be carried by the stationary stands J in substantially the manner shown in Fig. 6, or it may be socured to the fireplace-frame by a bracket K, as shown in Fig. 7, this bracket, like the stand, being provided with a socket to receive the rod, which is held in place in any suitable manner.

One of the primary advantages which this fire-screen has over the prior art consists in the avoidance of injury to the pendent chains by contact with the fire, it having been found that the fire will discolor and destroy the chains if they are located too close to the fire. The pendent chains forming the screen proper of my improved fire-screen are supported away from the fire a suitable distance by means of the rod F, which is bent or curved to conform to the lower edge of the hood. The screen hangs from the rod throughout its length and forms a complete protection against flying coals and sparks, while at the same time it is hung in such a manner that it can be readily adjusted to one side or the other or to each side of the middle to permit access to the fire. The screen is preferably made in two sections, as shown in Fig. 1, so that it can be divided and pushed to each side of the center of the fireplace; but it may be made in one section and. the chains divided and held back by hand or by means of a holding rod or chain or other device, which it is unnecessary to show or describe in view of its very evident simplicity.

Many variations may be made in the manner of combining the different parts which make up my improved fireplace-screen without departing from the spirit or scope or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The hood and supporting-rod may be connected together and mounted on movable or stationary stands, or the hood may be secured to the fireplace-frame and the supporting-rod carried by the hood or independently supported on stands or on brackets secured to the fireplace-frame. The hood and fireplace-frame may be made together of one piece of metal or otherwise and the rod supported by the hood or in some other manner, if desired. It will therefore be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular manner of combining the different elements shown in the drawings, because they may be combined in any manner so long as the completed fireplacescreen comprises a support extending beyond and forward of the fireplace and grate, a screen suspended from the support, and a hood extending from the support to the front wall of the fireplace-frame.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fireplace-screen comprising a support extending beyond and forward of the fireplace and grate, a screen composed of chains suspended from said support, and a hood extending from said support to the front wall of the fireplace, substantially as described.

2. Afireplace-screen comprising a support extending beyond and forward of the fireplace and the grate, a screen composed of chains slidingly connected with and extending from end to end of the support and from the grateframe at one side of the fireplace to the grateframe at the other side of the fireplace, and a hood extending from said support to the front wall of the fireplace, substantially as described.

3. A fireplace-screen comprising a support extending beyond and forward of the fireplace and parallel therewith, said support having curved ends extending to the front wall of the fireplace, a screen composed of chains suspended from said support throughout its length, and a hood extending from said support to the front wall of the fireplace, substantially as described.

4. A fireplace-screen comprising a slotted rod extending beyond and forward of the fireplace and grate to form a support, brackets carrying said support, hangers arranged to operate in the slot in the said support, a screen composed of chains suspended from said hangers, and a hood extending from the support to the front Wall of the fireplace, substantially as described.

PRENTIS E. LAW.

\Vitnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, F. II. DRURY. 

